Alexander Prokhorov-Tolstoy, a Boston-based opera singer from St. Petersburg, will soon add another accolade to his list of accomplishments.
He is due to receive an award from the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots of USA for his “popularization of Russia’s cultural heritage” in the United States.
Prokhorov-Tolstoy, who is known for his performances of Russian and Gypsy romances, along with his operatic roles, said, “I never work for awards and honors; I always do what my heart and spirit desire. Nonetheless, I am very proud that my work has been noticed and appreciated. Now as I plan future projects, I keep in mind that what I do is considered important and necessary.”
Since moving to Boston in 1999 to attend the Longy School of Music where he studied opera performance, Prokhorov-Tolstoy has been keeping busy with a variety of projects.
He has founded an opera company, Commonwealth Lyric Theater, where he serves as the artistic and stage director. The company has staged “Boris Godunov,” “The Demon” and other operas with international singers from the Met, Bolshoi and La Scala.
The motivation behind these pursuits is to “propagandize Russian culture in the U.S.,” Prokhorov-Tolstoy said, “especially the lesser known masterpieces, which are not in the repertoire of many American theaters.”
His own repertoire is wide-ranging, comprising of Schubert’s songs, oratorios, and arias from operas, but he currently devotes much time to romances. Prokhorov-Tolstoy has created a monodrama, “Dark Eyes,” where he weaves romances into short vignettes and stories. The show premiered at the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston in May of last year.
In the show, Prokhorov-Tolstoy accompanies his singing on the piano. “This is an unusual way of performing romances,” he said. “I am the piano and the guitar and the orchestra. It is an improvisational style that is born before the audience. It is freshly baked, without a recipe.”
Once a year, he performs an “Evening of Russian and Gypsy Romances” at the museum of his great-grandfather Aleksey Tolstoy in Moscow.
Prokhorov-Tolstoy also teaches singing to children of Lucky Ten, a studio he co-founded with choreographer Anna Kravets. He said this project was born out of his love for children. Growing up, he and his siblings sang and performed in their own home theater, a tradition which Prokhorov-Tolstoy has then passed on to his own six kids.
After seeing a performance of 10 young tenors from Australia, he decided to start a similar group in Boston. Prokhorov-Tolstoy is now teaching the third cohort of Lucky 10 musicians, which is composed of 10 boys and 10 girls, who sing songs from operas, Broadway show tunes, and popular music in a number of languages.
This story appeared in The Russian Boston Gazette.
Alexandra (Sasha) Schwank 